The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-01-20
18TH CONGRESS.
Two Important Pension Bills Passed
by the House.
1NcREAsE roR pIsARrLTTY.

called up the bill " for the relief Of dependent
parents and honorahly discharged soldiers aud
sailors who are now disabled and dependent
upon their own labor for support, be passed
/ The bill is as follows:
BE IL enacted, etc, Thaiin consideringthe pension
claims Of dependent parents the fact and cause OF
death and the fact tat the soldier left no widow or
minor children, having been shown as required by
] law, IL shall be necessary only 10 show 10y oompe-
4 tent and sufficient evidence that such parent or
} parents are without other present means oil sup
/ port than their own manual labor or the conflbu-
Lons Of Others not legally bound for their support:
PrOCided, that no pension allowed under TINS ACT
shall commence prior TO it, passage ana IN case Oh
applications hereafter made under this ACT ie PEN
sion shall commence from the date OF the ming OF
the application in the Pension Office:
Sac. 2. That all persons who served three months
/ or more Ia the military or naval service Of the
United States IN any in which the United States
has been engaged, aud who have been honorsey
discharged thcrefr0m, and who are now or VINO
may hereafter be suffering from mental or piyslca4
disability, not The result OF their own vicious habits
or gross carelessness which incapacRtes them FOR
The performance OF labor in such degree as TO rem
! der them unable 10 earn a support, and who are
dependent upon their daily labor for support SNAIL
upon making duo proof OF tic fact according 10 such
rules aud regulations the Secretary OF the lnte-
rior may provide in pursuance OF this act be placed
| on the list OF invalid pensioners of the United
States, and he entitled 10 receive for such total Ia
ability 10 procure their subsistence 10y daily labor,
SO per month; aud such pension shall commence
from the date Of the filing OF the application ia the
Pension Office, upon proof that the disability men
existed. and continue during the existence OF the
same IN the degree herein provided: FForlded,
That persons who receiving pensions
/ under existing laws, whose claims are pending
| Ia the Pension Office, may, by application 10 the
/ Commissioner Of Pensions in such forms a he may
prescribe receive the benefits OF This act but moth
ing herein contained shall be construed as TO al.
low more than one pension at the same time TO the
same person or pension TO commence PRIOR 10 the
passage OF this act: Aud prOrfdod further, Thai rank
n the service shall not be considered in applications
filed Hereunder.
SEC B. Thai no agent, attorney or other person
instrumental in the presentation and prosecution
of a claim under this act shall demand or receive
for his services fundamentally IN presenting
and prosecuting such claim a greater Than s.,
payable only upon the order Of the Commissioner
OF Pensions, 10y the Pension Agent making pay
men OF the pension allowed, except in cases here
tOiore prosecuted before the Pension Office, when,
IN the discretion of the Commissioner of Pensions,
"A fee of $40 may be allowed in like manner TO the
agent or attorney Of record in the case at the date
of the passage OF this act and any agent. attorney,
or other person instrumental in the prosecution OF
a claim under this act who shall demand or receive
sum greater than that herein provided Tor, for
his services IN the prosecution OF the claim. shall
be subject TO the same penalties as prescroed ln
section Of the act OF July g. 1881, entitled
An act making appropriations for the pay
ment OF invalid and other pensions Of the United
States for the fiscal year ending June 90 1882 ana
SEC. a. That section d7l6 Of the Revised Statutes
is hereby modified so that the same shall not APP
ply 10 this act Frouidcd, That this act shall not
apply 20 those persons under political disabilities
And no person shall be pensioned under this act
for any disability incurred while engaged in the
military service against the United States.
Mr.. Matson stated that the first section OF the
bin merely changed the evidence required by
the Pension Office. and would not cost the Gov
eminent more than $4,000 annually. The
total number of persons who would be bene-
flied by the second section was estimated at
80, los, and the annual cost TO the Government
would not reach S6600000.
Mr.. Warner Ohio, while not opposing the
BILL criticized il as departure from the prin-
ciple That pensions were designed TO be COM
pensaton for disabilities This bill was rather
pauper bin than pension bill.
Mr. Blount lGa.) thought that the House
should pause before il passed measure which
would place an unknown burden upon the peo-
pie who paid the taxes, for the facts upon which
the Committee based its estimate Of cost 10 the
Government was very meager
Mr.. Morrill, KAN favored the bill as being
a declaration that no old soldier who followed
the flag should end his days in the poorhouse
Mr.. Springer (Ill.) favored the bill as fair
and conservative measure. In answer TO the
objection that the estimates as 10 the amount
which would be required 10 meet its provisions
were not reliable he asserted that while no
. estimates could be absolutely correct those
S which fixed the cost TO the Government az
600 were as reliable as il was possible To
make them. But, whether they were correct
or not, he advocated the bin on the ground
that il would afford more relief 10 worthy sol
e diers in proportion TO the amount involved
! than any other measure Congress had passed
on the subject Of pensions.
9 The bill was then passed-ayes 10, noes 20
D The only votes against the bill from the North
g ern States were Bragg Wis., Comstock Mich. }
I and Storm (Pa)
MEXICAN PENSION BILL
The House passed, with very little debate, BY
: vote Of ayes 247, noes 8, the following act
e granting pensions TO the soldiers and sailor
q Of the Mexican war:
Be II enacted ETC.. That the Secretary OF the Int
rior be, and he is hereby authorized and direciec
10 place on the pensionrol the names of the sur
, viving officers and enlisted men including marines
s militia, aud volunteers, OF the military and nava
! service OF the United States, who. being duly en-
= / listed actually served GO days with the Army %
: Navy Of the United States in Mexico or on Tia
coasts or frontier thereof route thereto, il
e the war with that Nation were actually engages
II In battle ia said war, aud were honoraby dis
~ charged aud TO such other officers and soldiers ant
= sailors may have been personally named in an,
~ resolution Of Congress for any specific service il
a said war and the surviving widow OF such officer
and enlisted men: Tf0uided, That such widow
is have not remarked: Provided, That every sue
officer, enlisted man, or widow who is or may be
q come 62 years OF age or who is or may beoom
10 subject 10 any disability or dependency equvaleI
III 10 some cause prescribed recognized by the per
N sion laws Of the United States ~ n sufficieI
a reason for the allowance OF pension shall be eu
titled 10 the benefits Of this act; but 1t shall
y be held 10 include any person not within The rul
r or who incurred such disability while in any mar
"a ner voluntarily engaged la aiding or abetting Oh
late rebellion against the authority Of the Unite
NC States.
SEC 2. That pensions under section I OF tn
act shall be at the rate OF Is dollars y,
month, and payable only from and after III
passage OF this ACT for and during the naturl
lives Of the persons entitled thereto or during n
continuance Of the disability for which the sam
shall be granted: Provided That section of III
ACT shall not apply 20 any person who IN receivin
4, pension nj tle rate Of - per month more nC
- 10 any person receiving pension of less than
per month, except for the difference between III
Ia pension now received az less than - per monll
and s. per month
AZ SIC. 3. That before the name Of any person sia
he placed on the pension-rOll under this act pro-
. shall be made, under such rules and regulations
the Secretary OF the Interior may prescribe of a
H. RIGHT 81 the applicant 10 pension and any perso
- who shall falsely and corrnptly take any oath
=, quirod under this ACT shall be deemed guilty
=. perjury; and the Secretary OF the Interior sla
cause 20 be stricken from the pension roll the nan
- oi ANY person whenever a shall be made Co appe
IL by proof satisfactory 10 him that such name WI
10 put upon such roll through false and fTaudulei
- representations aud that such person IL not entillS
10 10 pension under thus act The loss Of the &C
~ ticate OF discharge shall not deprive any person
~ the benefits OF this act bui other record evidence
- enlistment aud service aud of an honorable di
charge may be deemed sufficient: FrOUidod Tn
- | when any person has been granted a land warraI
- under any art Of Congress for aud Of ser
40 Ice M tlle said wfT with Mexico, such grant shall
piinA iiicie evidence OF hs service and honorable a
charge but such evidence shall not be conclua
and may be rebuttcd by evidence that such Ian
warrant was improperly granted.
SEC. 4. That the pension laws now la force wifi
sc not inconsistent la conflict with this
- hereby made part OF this act 80 Ear they MAJ
nc be applicable thereto.
fHA.